I Never Saw You Coming
by kaeh96
Summary: Jennifer Jareau has endured her greatest loss yet, and she finds a new sense of comfort in an old friend.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hey guys! So I'm very much addicted to the CBS show, Intelligence, which stars AJ's best friend, Meghan Ory! All of you should watch it because it's such an amazing show and it needs to be renewed for the next season :). Anyways, I thought I'd write something a little bit ****different, mostly out of the deep need for a JJ/Riley fic and coming up empty. So what's a girl to do but write her own? Anyways thank you all for being so patient as I'm now juggling a few stories at once haha oops but this one will be a little on the short side and I'm still very much focused on Let Me Go, Don't Forget to Remember Me, and Never Enough. Okay I'm done haha ENJOY!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds or Intelligence and/or their affiliates; all rights belong to CBS.**

Jennifer Jareau stood with quiet tears making paths down her cheeks, a crumpled up tissue in her right hand, and her son's small, cold hand in her left.

She stood as she numbly listened to the pastor, her eyes focused on the coffin that had just been lowered to the bottom of the six foot grave that was now the eternal home for the body of her husband, William Lamontagne. The hot July sun was absorbed by her fitted black dress, yet she still had chills as the service carried on. She never thought she would suffer two great losses of people she loved within thirty-two short years of her life, and she didn't think it was fair; she'd suffered enough pain in her life. She felt the hot hand of her dear friend and BAU teammate Penelope Garcia squeeze her shoulder, and she realized the service had finished, her husband's black coffin now completely covered underground. Her five year old, Henry, looked up at them, his big, brown eyes filled with tears,

"Momma, is daddy really gone now?"

JJ couldn't help but be completely honest,

"Yeah baby, he's gone, we can't see him for a very long time now."

"When we go to heaven?" Henry asked, his voice pleading.

"Yes, when we go to heaven."

JJ looked at her teammates who'd joined Garcia; each of them bore overwhelming looks of sorrow on their faces. They'd grown to love Will almost as much as they loved JJ, and he'd been a friend and family member to all of them. They knew JJ wanted a moment alone, so Garcia took Henry, each of them said their goodbyes, and left.

As JJ stood alone, she felt incredibly isolated as she realized one of the few people she'd actually wanted to see that day hadn't been able to make it to the service. However, just as she was about to reach into her purse for her phone, a soft hand took her wrist. She turned to see the very person she'd just been missing,

"Riley, I didn't think you were-"

"Oh, JJ, how could I not come? I'm sorry I didn't see you earlier, I thought you could talk to your team first." Riley Neal, JJ's long-time best friend cut her off and grabbed her into a tight hug.

"Riley, you have no idea how happy I am to see you." JJ said as she buried her face in her friend's shoulder.

The last time they had spoken face to face was four months ago, when JJ told Riley that Will was dying of end-stage liver cancer. She understood that Riley was very busy, as was she, but in this moment she simply needed her friend's comfort. As each week passed by, Riley did her best to call JJ on a regular basis, comforting her and giving her advice on preparing for Will's death. She had no experience herself, but her partner in the United States Cyber Control department had lost his wife not too long before, and she understood what kind of pain widows and widowers felt. She could help JJ cope, and she could help take care of Henry.

"Henry is staying with Garcia tonight, yes?" Riley asked. She knew agents Garcia and Reid were Henry's godparents, and although she didn't like it, she figured JJ would want to be without anyone, especially her son or coworkers, for some time.

"Yeah, he's staying there for a few days, I don't want him in or around our house for a little while, he needs time away and I need space." JJ's tone was frank, and Riley suddenly became anxious when JJ said she needed space. But, Riley swallowed her pride and continued,

"Do you want me to stay with you, at least for tonight? I can help with anything you need."

JJ pulled away from Riley, looked her square in the eyes, placed her hands on Riley's shoulders, and gave a little smile,

"Riley, I'd love that. Thank you, really, I'd love to have your company."

Riley smiled back, and pulled JJ in for another hug, lightly kissing her cheek on the way. JJ liked the comforting touch of Riley's lips on her skin, and she took in the sweet smell of her soft hair. They broke apart, then sat on the closest bench. JJ turned her body to Riley, and took her hands,

"I miss him, so much." Tears stung her eyes yet again, and she sighed as she reflected on the past three weeks.

"I know you do, I do too. He was such a great person, and I loved him very much as a friend, and I know he was your first love." Riley began to cry, and for the first time in awhile, she let herself feel pain. Her job required her to be constantly on the lookout and to keep a strong front up, and she seldom let anyone see her as anything but. She had watched JJ fall in love with Will, in fact she had been the first person to know JJ even had any sort of serious interest in him. She and Will had shared a deep friendship that was bonded over their mutual love for JJ. Riley regretted distancing herself from Will in his final moments, but she knew that she wouldn't have been able to handle the pain as well as her job. She understood JJ also had to be as emotionally detached as possible, and her boss had given JJ a few weeks off, which Riley would use to heal alongside JJ.

They fell into a back-and-forth of memories with Will, tears streaming out of their blue eyes and their voices cracking as they carried on. JJ realized how good it felt to vent to her best friend, but she'd had enough. They paused, and JJ cleared her throat,

"Hey, let's go. We can come back tomorrow but…I need to be home."

Riley nodded,

"Okay. I'll go home, grab some things, and be back at your place in about an hour, okay?"

JJ smiled as she brushed the tears off Riley's face. They stood, shared one last hug, and walked out of the cemetery with their arms linked.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hey! Thanks for the kind words, and spread this story! There aren't a lot of Intelligence fans out there but I know y'all exist, especially within the CM fandom! Haha anyways, enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds or Intelligence and/or their affiliates.**

Riley stepped into the large home that JJ had been living in for the past ten years, and all her memories of the house came flooding back to her. She remembered when she and JJ started house hunting, and they came upon this house. JJ had gotten lucky with the price, and Riley had to push her to buy it. However, JJ had fallen in love with it the second she stepped into it as it's owner. Riley remembered that day, how she had been so proud of her friend and how lucky she felt to help her achieve her dreams.

Soon enough, JJ entered the foyer. She had changed from her dress into a pair of black cotton shorts and a grey tank top, while Riley was still in her funeral ensemble.

"Hey" Riley said as she looked up at the blonde.

"Hey. Here, let me take your bag, you can stay in the guest room upstairs, the one down the hall from the master." JJ carefully took Riley's weekend bag off her shoulder as Riley put her keys into her purse. However, something caught her off guard,

"Upstairs? Don't you normally have every guest, even me, stay in the suite downstairs?" Riley tried to catch JJ's eye as the two began to head up the wooden stairs. Then it hit her.

"I, uh…I haven't been upstairs for more than five minutes since…" JJ's voice cracked, and Riley knew she needed to drop the subject.

"Right. I'm sorry, I didn't know." Riley was apologetic, she knew she needed to be as sensitive as possible for the time being.

They headed up the stairs and down the hall to the smallest upstairs guest room. Riley had only stayed in this room once, when JJ and her friends/coworkers Emily Prentiss along with Garcia had the weekend off, so she decided to ask the two of them along with Riley to spend a girl's weekend in-town with her. Garcia had taken the downstairs guest suite while Emily had the one next to Henry's room, so naturally Riley took the small room at the end of the hallway. At the time, Riley had hated the idea of being cramped in such a small space with five other people in the house, but now she enjoyed the close comfort, and the knowing that it was just her and JJ. She felt her heart twist as she thought of JJ being alone every night in the basement suite, most likely not sleeping and crying to herself every few hours, and being in too much pain to even think of stepping within three feet of the room she and her husband had shared for the past seven years.

Riley dropped her bag on the bed, then quickly followed JJ back downstairs.

"You hungry? We have a lot of food, people have been bringing me stuff every single day…mostly salads and casseroles and deserts…" JJ asked as she stuck her head in the refrigerator. Riley couldn't help but giggle at the sight of her petite friend digging through shelves and shelves of food that was filled with nothing but carbs.

"Um, I am hungry, but maybe just an apple and a sandwich will do." Riley chuckled to herself as JJ practically dove for the drawer with deli meat and cheese in it. Riley didn't even have to tell JJ what she wanted, she just knew-roasted ham and medium white cheddar cheese. Riley padded over to the bread cabinet and looked over at JJ to see if she was pulling out food for herself. She did-leftover steak and swiss cheese. Riley then reached in and grabbed two chibata rolls and sliced them in half as JJ closed the fridge and set the bags of meat and cheese on the counter Riley was working on. They silently made their sandwiches and Riley grabbed a red apple for herself and a pear for JJ. They sat at the small table off the kitchen, and began chewing their sandwiches in comfortable silence. Riley enjoyed the comfort of being with her friend in one of her favorite places, despite the ever-present grief that they were experiencing. JJ finished her food fairly quickly, and Riley realized that she hadn't been eating as much, due to the depression that had filled her heart.

They finished, and when Riley stood up she realized how gross she felt.

"Hey, do you mind if I take a shower? I'm all sweaty and I'd love to get out of these clothes." Riley looked down at herself as JJ took their plates over to the sink.

"Sure, just use the third bathroom up there." JJ didn't even bother to glance up as she rinsed off the dishes.

Riley simply said a quiet "thanks" and retreated up the stairs.

As JJ stood, carefully placing the plates in the dishwasher, she came to the realization of two things; first, she realized how good it felt to have food in her stomach. She tended to stop eating whenever she was grieving, simply because her stomach couldn't handle it. Second, she noticed how much she had been needing to be around Riley; just her presence brought a previously unknown sense of comfort to JJ, and it was something she couldn't quite explain. No other person could bring the sensation, and JJ enjoyed it.

Xx

They spent their afternoon lounging together in mostly-silence, simply laying with each other on the couch in the main living room, sharing short words and kind gestures. At one point, JJ retold Riley her favorite story of their friendship when they'd first met as JJ laid with her head in Riley's lap, her long hair tickling Riley's bare legs. They went to their respective bedrooms, but Riley simply sat on the window seat against the far wall of the room, her knees tucked into her chest and her big eyes looking up at the full moon. She dozed off like this, but was woken up when she felt a light tap on her shoulder. She turned her head to see JJ standing there, trembling and gasping for air.

"JJ, what happened? What's wrong?" Riley rubbed the sleep from her eyes as she stared her friend down in concern.

"I-I j-j-just h-had a bad d-dream…W-will he…he…" JJ's body was as shaky as her breathe, and she sounded absolutely exhausted.

"Aw, JJ come here." Riley stood and took JJ into her embrace.

She tried to stop JJ's shaking as best she could, and it started to ease as JJ breathed deeper and deeper into Riley's chest. Riley grabbed JJ's hand and pulled her onto the bed, sliding under the covers with her. She wrapped her arms around JJ, letting her cry and carry on as her breathing slowed and her body relaxed. Riley pressed a kiss to JJ's cheek when she finally fell asleep, keeping her right arm across JJ's ribcage and her left just behind JJ's head, her fingertips lightly stroking her blonde hair that seemed to glow in the moonlight that was coming in from the window. Slowly, Riley fell into a deep sleep, the sound of her friend's breathing and the warmth of her body comforting her.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hellooo! Well this story has been going better than I thought! Haha I've gotten a lot of meaningful compliments on what's been written so far, and I ****really appreciate that! Okay two things, one is a clarification: I am a head over freaking heels riliel shipper, but this isn't a riliel fic, now is it? So I (sadly) have to keep their relationship to a friendship (maybe I'll write a riliel fic someday but I think almost everyone who watches Intelligence for Meghan Ory because they love AJ Cook and/or Higher Ground agrees that there needed to be some sort of JJ-centered Criminal Minds crossover here, yes?). Second, is a trigger warning- somewhat-detailed description of a not-so-graphic suicide attempt. So uh, good luck!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds or Intelligence and/or their affiliates.**

JJ woke as the sun blared across her eyes. She opened them to see Riley right in front of her, with her arm across JJ's ribs. Careful not to move too much, she laid on her back and looked around the room, tears threatening to pour out. She sighed deeply and looked over at Riley. She felt herself relax as she looked at the brunette's soft porcelain face, a soothing expression on her face as her chest rose and fell with her deep breaths. The orange light of the new sun shone in her dark hair, and JJ wondered how it was that the light didn't bother her. Very daintily, JJ picked up Riley's arm and moved it onto her side, and slid out of the bed. She tiptoed over to the window, and closed the curtains so no light would come through. Before she got back under the covers, she looked over her friend at the alarm clock, which read 6:27. She sighed, and with the new darkness of the room, she felt very tired and heavy yet again. She placed the covers back over her body, and turned away from Riley. Slowly, she slid back so she was closer to the brunette, then reached for Riley's hand. She brought it to her lips, pressed a gentle kiss to it, then placed it on the side of her ribcage. JJ curled up into the warmth of Riley's body, and drifted back into sleep.

Xx

At 8:46, Riley awoke to the sight of JJ's blonde hair directly in her face. She carefully pulled her hand off JJ and used it to sit herself up. She grabbed her black iPhone off the nightstand and checked the temperature.

_'75. Surprisingly cool.'_

With that, she gingerly placed her legs over the edge of the bed and walked over to the drawers that she'd placed her clothes in. She took her purple running shorts, black tank top, white sports bra, socks, and her running shoes and walked through the hall and into the bathroom, deciding she needed to go for a run to clear her head. She changed quickly, brushing her hair and pulling it back into a ponytail. When she was done, she turned off the bathroom light, placed her dirty clothes in the laundry hamper in her guest room, and hopped quietly down the stairs.

She sat at the little table by herself, munching on a banana and sipping a chocolate protein shake while reading the newspaper. When she finished, she quickly ran back upstairs to brush her teeth, then took off for her run.

As she made her way through the forest trail than ran through the large expanse of JJ's neighborhood and the ones surrounding it, she took in the fresh morning air and relaxed her muscles as she settled into a steady pace. She thought about how Will was watching over her in that very moment, and she allowed herself to take in his presence. Riley let her mind wander, and soon enough she was thinking about none other than what her partner and friend, Gabriel, was doing. However, sooner than she asked herself the question, she answered it.

_'Sleeping_'

She smirked to herself and shook her head. She liked Gabriel, a lot, maybe even loved him, but it was strictly a friendship. Her job consisted of the two of them constantly risking their lives for one another while taking down international criminals that threatened the safety of the USA, particularly the cyber side of national security, and she was always too stressed about his safety. She knew Gabriel cared about her, as she did for him, and she hated leaving him for a few days, but she would call him and check on him, just to be sure. Riley carried on and took in the sights and sounds of the forest, from the birds and squirrels to the beautiful flowers and trees that surrounded her-it almost made her forget she was in the suburbs of northern Virginia. _Almost._

The second she stepped into the cool house, Riley made a beeline for the refrigerator, feeling as though she couldn't grab a bottle of water fast enough. Breathing heavily, she sighed with relief as the ice-cold liquid made its way down her throat. As she came fully to her senses, she heard the shower running upstairs, assuming JJ simply decided to take a shower there rather than going all the way down to the guest suite in the basement for it.

As she leaned against the fridge, practically gulping her water down, she noticed how she wasn't hearing JJ move around much. She nearly dropped her water when she heard what sounded like a book falling off a shelf, except it was coming from the master bathroom.

'_JJ…'_

Riley set her water bottle on the closest counter and headed upstairs. Once she got to the top of the staircase, she could hear that JJ was not in the guest bathroom, but the master.

"JJ? Sweetie where are you? JJ?"

No reply.

'_Shit'_

A million scary thoughts ran through her head, and without warning, she found herself standing in the doorway of the master suite.

"JJ? JJ please answer me!"

Ignoring her thoughts telling her to just leave JJ, she bolted for the bathroom.

What she saw before her hit her harder than anything she'd ever witnessed.

On the counter was a near-empty bottle of Advil PM.

In the shower, laying on the floor in a limp mess, was JJ, still in the t-shirt and shorts she'd slept in.

Choking back tears, Riley opened the glass door and turned off the water.

"JJ? JJ wake up, come on, please!"

She shook JJ frantically, and, amazingly, JJ stirred ever so slightly.

Before she knew it, Riley had JJ sitting up with her first two fingers down her throat, praying JJ's esophagus would respond to the stimulation and would send the pills back up JJ's system. She tried for about a minute until JJ lurched. Riley took all of JJ's hair in one hand and let her thrust herself forward so she could get the contents of her stomach out of her mouth and not on her clothes. When Riley was sure JJ was done, she stepped out of the shower and grabbed JJ's towel, tears making their way down her face. Silently, she stripped JJ's clothes off, and wrapped her in the towel. JJ shivered, and Riley knew she had to be sure JJ's nerves were in tact, so as JJ sat huddled against Riley, Riley reached her arm around JJ's back until her fingers found the outside of JJ's thigh. When JJ least expected it, Riley gave it a gentle flick with her fingers, anxiously watching JJ's face for a reaction.

"Ow…why did you do that?" JJ asked, coughing slightly as she did.

Riley said nothing, and continued to rub JJ to warm her up. Pretty quickly, JJ came to her senses fully, and looked at Riley.

"Riley, I…I'm sorry, I just was so caught up in the moment and I…"

Riley continued to do nothing but warm JJ up, staring into nothingness with tears still flowing down her cheeks and falling onto her shirt. They sat like this for a few more minutes, until Riley got up and went to find clothes for JJ. She grabbed a t-shirt, sports bra, underwear, and cropped leggings and carried them back into the bathroom, placing them on the edge of the large bathtub that was next to the shower. She helped JJ stand and walk out, and handed her the clothes. She stood and looked on as JJ dressed, not wanting to leave JJ alone for more than a few seconds. When JJ was done, she hung up the towel and moved over to the sink to brush her hair and her teeth, moving fairly slowly. Riley sat on the edge of the tub, letting her head hang as she closed her eyes and continued to cry. She was torn between wanting to ask JJ why she felt the need to kill herself, despite that she was fairly certain she knew why; JJ couldn't handle the pain of life without Will, and by dying, she would be back with him forever.

JJ finished, and turned to Riley. Riley took her hand and led her out the room and down the stairs. She had JJ sit at the little table while she made JJ's favorite tea-green tea with honey and a splash of skim milk-and made her eat a toasted english muffin and a green apple. Riley poured herself a cup of tea, deciding to skip putting milk in hers, and carried their mugs to the table, and sat down. She had since stopped crying-which JJ was now doing, clearly out of guilt and pain-and simply stared out the window as JJ finished her food and they sipped their drinks. About ten minutes passed without either of them saying anything, until JJ cleared her throat,

"Riley-"

"JJ, don't." Riley quickly cut her off, she didn't want to hear it, not right then and there. Still, JJ was stubborn and persistent,

"Riley, please, I didn't mean to-"

"Damn it JJ, I said stop! You didn't mean to what? Kill yourself? Take yourself away from the people who still love you more than anything? From me? I know I sound selfish but come on JJ, do you really think you have no one left? I have been by your side for over a decade, and I'm not leaving anytime soon." Riley practically slammed her mug on the table, tears of frustration and pain coming down her face. She looked into the broken eyes of her friend, and when JJ began to cry harder, she stood and kneeled beside her,

"Jennifer Elizabeth Jareau, you listen to me, I am _not_ about to go anywhere, do you understand? I know, crazy things happen to good people, and I know you're scared of losing me, of losing your other friends, you family, but JJ, I can tell you one thing for sure, and that is that I will **always** love you and care about you, and that getting rid of me is a very, _very_ hard thing to do."

JJ looked down at her, a sense of understanding in her eyes, and Riley took her arms and pulled JJ towards her. JJ sobbed into her shoulder,

"Riley, I'm so sorry, I really, really am. I just m-miss him s-s-so m-much. I l-loved him and n-nothing seems r-right anym-more."

"Shh, baby I know, I know." Riley stroked JJ's hair and kissed the top of her head, looking up as overwhelming pain struck her, and the hole in her heart that had seemed so minuscule the day before opened up. She actually couldn't believe that she had nearly lost the one person she actually trusted and cared for. It was too close, and she knew that she now had to treat JJ with even more fragility than Gabriel. With Gabriel she could be aggressive and rough, with JJ she had to be slow and gentle, and she couldn't force JJ into saying or doing anything she didn't want to. Their healing process now no longer relied on Riley trying to help JJ move on, but Riley waiting for JJ to show signs of life, to find her own way, and Riley needed to be her safety net and her guide.

Riley was willing to do whatever it took.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hey! This chapter's a bit shorter, but I think the second half will leave you all excited for more :)**

**Disclaimer****: I do not own Criminal Minds or Intelligence and/or their affiliates**

A few days later, Riley settled into the movie theater seat, JJ sitting next to her. Riley had decided that after they'd spent days just talking and laying around the house that they both needed to get out, at least for a little while. JJ seemed to be doing okay, she was venting to Riley and had agreed to tell Hotch about her suicide attempt; he had then made her see the bureau grief counselor for three days in a row, and that had seemed to insight some sort of positive feelings within JJ.

Now, Riley smiled at JJ as she munched on some popcorn and her bright eyes watched the theater screen. They had spent every night together in that small guest room, and last night JJ had held Riley close and slept peacefully. Riley felt herself developing some sort of new feeling in her heart…she wasn't sure what, but whenever she was around JJ that feeling would make its presence known.

The movie started, and Riley noticed JJ inching closer to her. Riley rested her head on JJ's shoulder, a rush of serotonin making its way through her body.

JJ, unlike Riley, knew exactly how she was feeling; she loved Riley and that love was causing their close friendship to border on the edge of being romantic. JJ figured it was due to her own feelings of loneliness and grief, and that it would go away once some normalcy returned to her life. For now, she would simply indulge and let things take their own course.

They decided to go out to dinner, and Riley kept her eyes on JJ the entire time. They laughed and talked for over an hour after they had finished their food, Riley building up more and more of the unexplainable feeling as the night went on.

When they returned home, they changed into more comfortable clothes and decided to watch another movie on the couch in the living room. They sat with Riley's left arm around JJ, JJ's right leg resting on Riley's left, and JJ with her head on Riley's chest.

About halfway through the movie, JJ turned to Riley,

"Riley? Thanks for, well, everything. I probably wouldn't be here if you weren't with me."

Riley met her eyes with her own matching set,

"Sweetie. you're welcome. It's my job to make sure you're alright."

They smiled at each other, and Riley found herself giving JJ a once-over.

She brushed JJ's hair away from her eyes as they sat on the couch, their hands intertwined. Suddenly, JJ sat forward, and she inched closer to Riley. Riley knew exactly what was happening, so instead of waiting for JJ, she took the lead herself. She leaned into JJ, and pressed her lips to the blonde's. They held their positions for a moment, taking in the kiss, until JJ pulled away, sparks tingling her lips. Her intense gaze met Riley's. Worried, Riley looked harder at her,

"JJ I'm sorry, I didn't know if that's what you-"

She was cut off by JJ pulling her close and pressing her lips to Riley's, harder this time. JJ moved her lips in sync with Riley's and stroked Riley's hair as they kissed over and over. Riley felt JJ open her mouth slightly, so she let her tongue softly tickle JJ's mouth, and was pleasantly surprised when JJ sucked on it as they kissed. Riley moved her hands across JJ's collarbones, down her breasts, and onto her rib cage. JJ slid her hands down Riley's back, stopping with her fingertips resting right inside the waistband of Riley's leggings. They continued, overwhelming euphoria taking over them, until Riley felt something warm and wet touch her face. The pair came apart, and Riley looked up to see JJ crying.

"Oh my god JJ, what…what's wrong? I'm so, so, sorry, I didn't mean to push you I just…thought you liked it." She said, her voice full of concern.

JJ barely managed to choke out a sentence, but she pulled Riley into a hug,

"Riley, no, that isn't it at all. It's just that…the way you hold me, it's so gentle and yet so thrilling, and I mean I've always loved you, but I never thought I would love you like this, not as much as I do right now, and, I'm so thankful for you, really I am. You've been by my side all these years and I have never felt this way about anyone, not even Will. Please, stay."

Riley smiled and nodded, and leaned in for another kiss.

"I love you, JJ." She whispered to the blonde.

"I love you too, Riley."


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Hey guys! Sorry it's been awhile, I'm becoming crazy busy with exams in school, but I've been getting lots of requests for updates, so here it is! My updates on all my stories will be slow for a few weeks because I'm taking IB exams, but I'll update as much as I can! Thank you for understanding and supporting me! :)**

Two weeks later, Riley woke with JJ's naked body laid across her own. She sighed and settled deeper into her own hunter-green sheets, JJ's light hair nearly matching the gold comforter on the bed. They'd finally decided to stay at Riley's house for a few days as Riley had to continue with her job, while JJ was still on leave. Suddenly, Riley's bliss was interrupted when her phone rang with the oh-so-familiar ringtone, and sure enough the caller ID further confirmed her prediction.

'_Gabriel'_

While Riley's small but upscale apartment was a nice change of scenery from JJ's house, it wasn't exactly a hideaway from Riley's not only friend and coworker, but _neighbor._

"Hey" she said in what was barely above a whisper into her phone, rubbing JJ's bare shoulders as she did, the blonde starting to stir.

_"Good morning sleepyhead! Have a long night?"_

Riley rolled her eyes and ignored the question,

"Gabriel, I am capable of waking myself up, FYI. Just because I took a few weeks off to be with a friend doesn't mean I've forgotten how to function."

"_Oh yeah that smokin' hot blonde! She still with you? I hope you didn't think you've been hiding her for the past four days, I see everything."_

"Okay, and you called _me_ the stalker when I moved in?" Riley laughed a little, JJ now fully awake, her big eyes watching Riley intently.

_"Yeah yeah whatever. Well you have five minutes, I'm standing right outside your door with your breakfast and if you aren't ready within those five minutes, I'm coming in."_

Riley remembered the key she'd given him, and looked at JJ frantically, motioning for her to get up as quickly as possible.

"Alright, hold your horses!" Riley shot up, accidentally sending JJ flying off the bed in a tangle of sheets.

"Oh my god, sorry!" Riley exclaimed to JJ in a harsh whisper.

JJ simply busted out laughing, and Riley felt herself blush,

_"Uh…who are you talking to?"_

Riley suddenly remembered Gabriel,

"Uh…no one…talk to you soon bye!"

"_Wait did you and your frie-"_

Riley cut him off, hung up, and dashed for the shower.

"Was that _Gabriel_?" JJ asked half-joking half-teasing.

"Yes!" Riley called as she pulled her hair up and stepped into the steaming liquid.

"Well, what did he want?" JJ asked after a pause.

"He'll be in the door in about two minutes so get dressed!"

Riley finished up her shower and stood in wide-eyed horror to see JJ in nothing but a black oversized tee that _barely_ covered her butt.

"JJ!" Riley shoved on the closest pair of jeans, t-shirt, and jacket as she heard the door open and footsteps dashing to the master bedroom.

"Hide!" Riley shoved JJ into the bathroom and closed the door as Gabriel dashed into the room and tackled her, picking her up over his arm.

"Gabriel!" Riley shouted at him, laughing as he spun around. She playfully hit his shoulders, and nearly got the wind knocked out of her system when he set her down on her back on the bed.

"You're bad, you know that, right?" She smiled up at him.

He shrugged,

"Well, I try. Can't let your life be too easy now can I?" He winked at her and Riley rolled her eyes. However, her giddiness went away when her eyes landed at what laid next to Gabriel's foot; _two_ pairs of what was obviously women's underwear. Sure enough, one was JJ's lacy blue pair and the other her own black briefs. She distracted Gabriel by shooting up and grabbing not just-what she assumed-was her own breakfast, but Gabriel's as well, and dashing to the kitchen.

"Hey!" He called after her, and soon enough she heard him chasing her.

She stopped dead in her tracks, turned around, and held his breakfast out for him to catch. He dashed by, taking it from her hand, and landed on the couch.

"Way to surrender!" He flashed a mischievous smile at her.

"I think you've tortured me enough for one day." She sighed and sat down next to him.

Five minutes later, they were both sipping coffee and biting into bagels when JJ walked in. Riley was relieved to see that she had added a pair of red plaid pajama pants to her outfit.

"Good morning." She said to the two of them, rubbing her eyes as she did.

"Hey there." Gabriel said, his eyes widening.

Riley shoved his arm and called to JJ,

"There's a mug of coffee on the counter for you."

"Thanks!"

JJ padded into the sitting room and settled into a chair across from the couch where Riley and Gabriel were seated.

"I'm Gabriel." Gabriel stood and leaned over, stretching out his hand for JJ.

"Hi, nice to meet you. JJ." JJ smiled and shook his hand, smiling at the ground.

"I uh, I'm so sorry for your loss…of your husband." Gabriel was sincere as his eyes met JJ's.

"Oh, thank you." JJ's heart ached as her mind wandered to her deceased husband.

"I lost my own wife a few months ago."

Riley looked at Gabriel, surprised at the information he'd just shared. He hardly ever discussed Amelia, who had died working as a spy doing dirty work. He barely talked about it with Riley, let alone strangers, but Riley knew he was simply saying it to help JJ feel better.

"Wow, I'm so sorry."

JJ paused,

"It's horrible, isn't it? Like…one second, the person you love most is right there in front of you, and then…

"They're not. Just like that." Gabriel finished JJ's sentence for her.

JJ nodded, relaxing a little bit.

Gabriel and Riley finished their food and left for work, deciding to simply go together in Gabriel's car. Riley drifted off into thought, reflecting on the moment she'd shared with JJ in the bedroom before they left.

* * *

_"Hey, no pressure or anything, but…could you try and tell him about…us? I mean he's one of your closest friends and I think it would make things easier."_

_JJ looked over her shoulder at Riley as Riley gathered her things for work._

_"Yeah, sure. I think he likes you. I mean, not like…I like you but, as a friend, I mean-"_

_"Riley! It's okay! I know what you mean." JJ smiled and chuckled a little._

_Riley took a breath as JJ walked up to her and placed her arms around her waist,_

_"I didn't even get to kiss you good morning." JJ stared intently into Riley's eyes._

_Riley leaned in and pressed her lips to JJ's, kissing her softly. Even though it had been two weeks, her lips still tingled with sparks whenever they shared a kiss. She sighed,_

_"Alright, I'll see you tonight."_

_"I better." JJ winked playfully._

_Riley smirked,_

_"Call me if you need anything."_

* * *

"So, how long have you two been together?"

Riley was shaken back to reality when Gabriel asked her the surprising question. She simply gave him a confused look.

"Come on Riley, I saw the way you two were looking at each other. And really? The underwear was a dead giveaway."

Riley smiled to herself,

"It's only been two weeks but I've known her for years. We started…liking each other a few weeks ago."

Gabriel simply raised his eyebrows, taking his eyes off the road for a split second,

"Hot."

Riley rolled her eyes,

"In your dreams lover-boy."


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Hey guys! I had the first part of my first IB exam today! It was pretty good :) I have the second half of this one and then two more to go...ew. Haha anyways I should be able to update again on Friday because that is literally my one free day for the next two weeks. I hope y'all enjoy!**

The second Riley stepped in the door late that night, she was greeted by JJ's eager lips on hers.

"Wow, I missed you too." Riley said between kisses.

JJ tugged at Riley's shirt, and as soon as Riley dropped her bag shrugged off her jacket, she allowed the blonde to take it off over her head. They went straight for the sitting room couch, and immediately dove into one another.

For Riley, sex with JJ was better than any man. They were careful and slow with one another, with rushes of fast passion. JJ knew it could never compare to being with Will, because that was simply unfair. They exploded with euphoria as the minutes passed, and when they were done, Riley pulled the closest throw blanket over their bare bodies, and slipped into peaceful rest.

A few hours later, JJ's mind woke her up, and she remembered that she was returning to the BAU the next day. She would have to make it clear to her teammates and fellow BAU workers that she didn't want their sympathy and she'd moved on.

'_What if they find out about me and Riley? What will people think?'_

She'd never thought she'd face the challenges of a gay woman in American society until now; she couldn't escape public eye anymore. She was relieved when Riley told her that she'd told Gabriel about their relationship and that he was completely accepting and supportive of it, but JJ knew most people would not have the same decency. She didn't want to be judged any more than she already had in her life. She also knew that she would have to return home that weekend; Henry's nanny had agreed to let him stay with her but that could only last so long.

She decided to ignore these questions and indulge herself in what was quite possibly her last peaceful night with the girl she loved for awhile.

Xx

The following morning, the pair rushed through their morning routines and headed off to work, Riley leaving before JJ.

When JJ finally sat at her desk in the BAU, she opened up her purse to see a missed call from Riley on her cell phone. When she called back, it went straight to voicemail.

"Everyone, Garcia is ready for us." Hotch called out to JJ, Morgan, Reid, and Prentiss. JJ sighed and walked with Morgan as they headed into the round table room, finding Rossi already seated and looking at the file on his iPad, Hotch sitting next to him. JJ placed herself between Hotch and Morgan, readying herself for what Garcia had to show them.

"Alright kittens, this one is creepy and not so cool to say the least. The city of Greenville, New Jersey has been losing local government officers to an unfortunate series of break-ins that result in said officer well…for lack of a better term, tied up."

On the screen, images of middle-aged men in their pajamas with their throats slashed and their hands and feet bound by rope appeared on the large screen in front of them.

"How were they found? Usually local government is protected by serious cyber security, and no one would ever put any of their information in any address book." Rossi asked.

"See that's where it gets really weird. Now, it is possible to hack into the local PD's system and you can find all sorts of information on government employees, and that's most likely how our little creep is finding these guys." Garcia looked at all of them, her wide eyes then drifting to Hotch.

"So, I decided to call in an expert on CyberCom." Hotch looked at the door, everyone following his gaze.

JJ's heart dropped when none other than Gabriel walked in, with Riley following close behind.

'_Well, damn it.'_

Xx

"Everyone, this is-"

"Gabriel Vaughn! The first ever human being to have a computer microchip legally planted in their brain by the United States Government!" Reid cut Hotch off, his voice speeding up and raising slightly as he became excited.

"And you're Dr. Spencer Reid. IQ of 187…multiple impressive degrees all earned before you were thirty…recruited by the FBI at twenty-one years of age…dude, you graduated high school at thirteen?" Gabriel rambled off the information, everyone suddenly taken aback.

"How did you…" Prentiss eyeballed him.

"Well, the benefits of having a microchip in your brain. I have access to every information database to ever exist. So, I can pull up every last bit of information on every single person in this building." Gabriel allowed himself to be slightly cocky, fully aware that the agents were impressed with him. He then turned to Riley,

"This is my lovely partner and protector, Agent Riley Neal."

Riley smiled at them and nodded in acknowledgment, avoiding looking at JJ for too long.

They made their introductions, JJ opting to go last, trying to decide if she was to pretend whether she knew Gabriel or not.

"JJ, good to see you again." Gabriel shook her hand and smiled at her.

"Again?" Morgan asked, "You two know each other?"

"We uh m-met through Riley." JJ stumbled, her eyes quickly flashing to her secret girlfriend as she did.

"Right, I forgot. Sorry." Morgan looked at the three of them, his voice still having just the slightest sense of lingering disbelief.

"Garcia will also be joining us." Hotch finished with a curt nod.

As they walked out into the bullpen, Prentiss whispered to JJ,

"So uh, Gabriel Vaughn. He's hot, right?" Prentiss nudged JJ and winked at her playfully.

"Emily! It's not like that trust me."

"Uh-huh. Whatever you say hot stuff." Emily sped up giddily and practically floated back to her desk. JJ couldn't believe that, considering how on-spot Emily was last time she guessed who JJ was dating, she was now _so_ far off.

'_This is gonna be a long and eventful case…'_


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Surprise! Haha I guess I found time for another chapter...yeah.**

**As always I don't own anything :)**

Before they stepped on the plane, JJ pulled Riley aside,

"Hey, let's just…be careful for now, okay? Emily and Morgan definitely think I'm into Gabriel-"

"What?" Riley scoffed and started to laugh hysterically. JJ chuckled and rolled her eyes a little,

"I know, right? Okay anyways we have to just…watch ourselves, alright?" JJ met Riley's gaze and the brunette simply nodded in agreement. They stepped into the jet and took the aisle seats at the table with four seats around it, finding Prentiss and Gabriel already at the windows. Gabriel eyed his friends as they sat down, Riley giggling a little when she looked from Prentiss, to Gabriel, to JJ, clearly trying to come up with how Prentiss was thinking that JJ and Gabriel were a thing.

Halfway through the flight, JJ felt Riley's foot on hers, sending chills up her spine. They fidgeted with one another while trying to suppress stupid smiles and little shrieks, JJ making sure she wouldn't accidentally tickle Riley too much. JJ stood up to get some snacks, pleasantly surprised when Riley followed her, making sure the curtain closed behind them. Before she knew it, Riley had JJ pressed against the cabinet that was full of chips, pretzels, and trail mix, her hands running through JJ's hair and their lips tightly moving in sync. JJ knew they had to be quiet so as to avoid suspicion, so she tried her best to make their kisses short and silent. They went on for nearly a minute, when Morgan suddenly let out a loud groan, pulling them back to reality. They looked at each other in utter shock and euphoria, clearly wanting to continue on.

"Tonight." JJ whispered.

Then, they quickly grabbed some cheetohs and pretzels and glided back into their seats as though nothing had happened.

Xx

That evening, they all stood in the lobby of the hotel,

"Sorry guys but we're going to have to double up. Dave you can stay with me."

Prentiss and Garcia paired up, then Riley and Gabriel.

"Alright pretty boy looks like I'm stuck with you." Morgan teased Reid.

JJ suddenly found herself in a position to choose, Riley and Gabriel or Garcia and Prentiss.

"I'll stay with Riley and Gabriel." She informed everyone. This, of course, only caused Prentiss to give her what was probably the twentieth teasing look that day. JJ smiled to herself as she thought about how relentless her dear friend was, and how if she ever found out the truth, she would be in for a complete shock. _If._

"Ladies, if you're gonna do any of the dirty, please, either invite me to join you, or keep it quiet, alright?" Gabriel stepped out of the bathroom in nothing but a pair of boxers, his skin and hair still wet from the shower.

JJ simply rolled her eyes and Riley scoffed,

"You know Gabriel, I like you, I really do, but you can be _so_ gross."

This made both JJ and Gabriel laugh, the irony of the situation clearly too much for all of them.

"Oh hey Gabriel you know my friend Emily? Yeah she thinks that you and _I_ are thing, not you and Riley and not Riley and me!" JJ laughed harder, as did Gabriel.

"Well JJ, if you ever wanted to give it a go, I'd gladly take you out somewhere, but for now I shall respect you and that demon you call your girlfriend."

Riley fake-glared at him, knowing he was kidding. JJ gave him a thankful look, and they all settled into their beds, JJ and Riley deciding to take the one closer to the large windows.

Riley and JJ lay facing each other, staring into one another's eyes as the moon reflected off the white quilt. Finally, Gabriel let out a loud snore.

"So, where were we?" JJ asked quietly.

Riley smiled and pulled JJ close, kissing her passionately and sending goosebumps down JJ's bare legs. JJ pulled Riley on top of her, and they fell into silent bliss, bathing themselves in nothing but each other and the moonlight.

Xx

"You know, the only thing better than watching two naked sleeping girls in a bed next to mine would be to have two sleeping girls in a bed with me."

Riley and JJ were startled as Gabriel made the snide remark loudly, and the pair quickly pulled the sheets up to make sure they were covered.

"Calm down, calm down. I won't tell and I'll go change in the bathroom so you two can have your lady time." Gabriel slumped out of his bed, grabbed his clothes, and shut the bathroom door behind himself.

The pair got dressed and switched places with Gabriel, brushing their teeth and applying makeup in front of the brightly lit, large mirror.

When she was brushing her hair, something on her neck caught JJ's eye. She slowly slid her hair out of the way, and her eyes widened at the large hickey on her neck.

"Crap! How on earth am I going to hide this?"

Riley blushed at the mark she'd made on her girlfriend's neck,

"Oops…sorry about that."

JJ winced and did her best to layer some foundation powder on it, willing for the redness to be less noticeable at the very least.

Xx

JJ kept her hair down the whole day, and, luckily, the mark on her neck went unnoticed.

Well, for a little while, anyways.

At lunch, JJ sat with Hotch and Emily in the small conference room of the Greenville police station, slumped over a burger and a salad. She instinctively braided her hair off to the side once she finished her burger and started on her salad. A few quiet minutes passed, until Hotch spoke up,

"JJ, what is that on your neck?"

JJ nearly dropped her fork as she felt her face turn red,

"Oh my god."

She furiously grabbed her hair out of it's braid and pulled it so it covered both sides of her neck, feeling stares from the matching brown eyes of her friends. Emily raised her eyebrows, looking surprised and somewhat impressed.

So much for leading Emily away from the idea that she and Gabriel were xx

together.

Xx

They decided to go out for drinks that night, and when they returned to the hotel, a slightly-drunk Garcia exclaimed (rather loudly),

"Hey guys, we should _totally_ play spin the bottle!"

Everyone shrugged in agreement. They had nothing better to do, after all.

They made their way up to Hotch and Rossi's room, JJ, Morgan, Garcia, Gabriel, and Riley all sitting in a circle on the floor with an empty glass bottle in the center. Hotch and Prentiss had simply collapsed on Hotch's bed while Rossi sat in the rolling chair at the small table in the back corner, sipping a glass of whiskey, and Reid fell asleep on Rossi's bed in a matter of seconds, the four of them deciding to sit out.

JJ had purposely placed herself between Morgan and Riley because either way, things wouldn't go too awry. They were instructed to kiss the person to their right, which made JJ relax even more so.

First up was Morgan. He spun it, and it landed on Gabriel. He turned to Riley, and the pair started to put on a show. They looked at each other like a couple of first graders that were scared to catch cooties. Everyone giggled as they watched the partners awkwardly lean into each other. Despite all this, their kiss was sweet. However, it was short, and they wiped their faces with exaggerated disgusted looks on their faces, then proceeding to shove each other in the arm. The members of the BAU laughed, and JJ winked at Riley.

When Gabriel spun, it landed on JJ. She blushed, and gave Morgan a small peck. Sure enough, when she spun, it landed on Morgan.

"Come here baby girl, this hot chocolate needs a little extra sugar."

He and Garcia planted a big one on each other, Rossi whistling and JJ clapping. They all chuckled, and continued on. Morgan spun, and just when JJ was sure it would land on Gabriel again, it landed on Riley. She blushed and turned to her girlfriend shyly. Riley confirmed with a look, and JJ accepted.

"Oh, guys you don't have to-"

Morgan was cut off when JJ and Riley leaned into each other and dove into a full-on kiss. They then proceeded to open their mouths and kiss again and again. JJ suddenly became horrified at what Riley was thinking. She cupped Riley's cheek, but realized what Riley was playing at when she lightly grabbed JJ's wrist.

'_We're telling them without having to say anything.'_

It was genius; what better way to reveal their secret than express their true feelings for each other in such a raw way?

They held one last kiss, then broke apart. JJ pulled Riley into a hug and whispered in her ear,

"Thank you."

They pulled away from one another, then turned to a room full of shocked expressions. Emily had sat up, her jaw dropped. Hotch looked JJ dead in the eyes with a firm look in his own and a frown on his face. Morgan rubbed the back of his head with his eyebrows raised, while Garcia simply stared at them with wide eyes.

Gabriel looked at them with an approving and encouraging smile, as if congratulating them on being so brave.

Then, there was Rossi. He was rubbing his chin, until he finally cleared his throat,

"Well, alright then. All I have to say is, _maldito calor."_

"Wait, you two are…what?" Prentiss was astonished.

JJ blushed at her,

"I'm sorry Em, it's just…I don't know."

"That was uh, some kiss." Morgan said.

"Oh, believe me, we have done _so _much more than kiss." Riley said with a chuckle.

"Riley!" JJ nudged her girlfriend, embarrassed.

"What? I mean they know now so might as well-"

"You two are a couple?" Garcia asked frankly.

The pair looked at each other then nodded.

"JJ, how long has this been going on?" Hotch asked intently.

"Um…a few weeks." JJ's voice went up an octave as she muttered through the response, instinctively sliding towards Riley. She didn't want to feel ashamed, so she looked to Gabriel for comfort.

"Agent Vaughn, did you know about this?" Rossi asked him lightly.

"Yes sir, I learned of their relationship a few days ago."

Riley spoke up,

"You know, neither of us even knew we…well, wanted to be with girls as well as guys, so that of course, was confusing. But, we realized…we just want to be with each other." She turned to JJ with a loving look in her eyes, and she rubbed JJ's left hand.

They all sat in a moment of silence, JJ willing everyone to understand where she and Riley were coming from.

Morgan spoke next,

"Well, JJ, whatever makes you happy is fine by me." He smiled at his friend and squeezed her shoulder. The rest of the room chimed in, nodding and shrugging in agreement.

Xx

When JJ, Riley, and Gabriel returned to their hotel room, Gabriel rubbed his forehead and turned to the girls,

"I'll uh, sleep on the couch in the front room, you two can have your space."

JJ and Riley gave him thankful expressions, then made their way into the shower, together.

They laid down in bed without bothering to put on any clothes, and for the first time, they made love to each other without holding back.

They were free.


End file.
